Grandpa's "H" comes home

Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:27 am

Back before Thanksgiving Scrivet and I had the chance to buy the H owned by our grandfather and his brothers on their combined farm operations. It was a war model 1941 bought new by grandpa n brothers.Grandpa and brothers split farms and he and dad kept the H in the trading. Around 1968 my dad had driven the H to highway to pick me up off school bus and it caught fire due to battery wire shortin to sediment bowl bail. It was parked in the old hog lot as salvage till 1977 when we sold out farm and moved to town.John Puckett AKA John*.?-!.*cub owners father Edgar bought it for parts. Johns Uncle Bob moved back to area in late 70s and needed a tractor for his place.They used the burnt H and another donor salvage tractor they found and rebuilt Johns Uncle Bob a H outa the two. The rearends tranny clutch housing back are Grandpas H new block radiator and front pedastel off donor . Funny thing is at Johns dads farm sale i bought all his H parts and got all the extras back.I had told Uncle Bob if he ever decided to sell the H i would like a shot at buying it. So from 1941 thru 1977 Higginbothams owned it then 1977 thru 2010 Pucketts owned it now its back on part of the old farm i still own . Guess its a second family owner tractor I even found the original loader dad had on it and bought it several years ago to put on another H i have and now Dads H wears it again. I know its not like havin a complete all parts original tractor but settin in the seat dad n grandpa rode pushin the pedals they did and shiftin the steel knob shifter their hands did kinda connects me to grandpa i never knew.we just call it DADS H with pride. Now Scrivet n I have 4 tractors on 46 acres 2 H'sand 2 cubs. Hes always got one of his lil side saddle sissy tractors out n and hes always laughing at my overgrown tricycles playin tractor and watchin me lean over to see where im drivin

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Great story. Glad you got it (or most of it) back in the family. My H was owned by my grandfather so I know the pride you feel. Enjoy it.

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:01 pm

It's always great when a prodigal tractor comes home!

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:35 pm

I'm glad for you, real good memories.

Bruce T.

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:24 pm

Between Flash and Scrivet, they will mess it up, they could break an anvil with a rubber mallet.

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Wed Jan 19, 2011 9:50 pm

Glad that you finally were able to recover your Grandpa's H.

EJ --- which H ??

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:33 pm

Yep, those Missouri H Farmalls have a way of finding their way back home.....I've had my hand on a couple that came out of that area....and are now back up there.

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:56 pm

Congrats on bringing the ol' H home...definitely one with a very unique history.

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:06 pm

Since my brother is technologically challenged I get to add the photos of "Dad's H". I was about 7 when it burnt. I remember Dad got burnt pretty bad on his hand and arm trying to get the gas shut off. When we got it back I was doing some wiring work to try to get it to charge. Inside the light switch box it is scorched. Maybe from the fire, maybe from the dimmer resistor, but it sure brought back memories for me. I had the starter and generator rebuilt for Flashes Christmas present, added a new regulator, and cleaned most of the wiring up. We had done a tune up and redid the carburetor to get it started to get it home. The generator still would charge intermittently when the repair shop tested it before the rebuild. They opened it up to find fried, crispy critter, no insulation, sooty wiring. Now with it all back together, the 6V positive ground system will start it at 20 degrees on the second revolution. I had to patch a patch on one of the rear tires and I put in a new tube on a front tire when it still wouldn't hold air after the patch I added to the 16 existing ones.The loader is a Freeman #80 Bent Frame Hydraulic Loader. I found the original papers for it that somehow didn't go with it at the sale. It was used to pile up the cedar and brush behind it.

Custom steering wheel is growing on me as well, Flash wants a correct real one. I've just got to remember what I did with the one I cut off his other H when I bought him a new one for Christmas year before last.Personally I think brakes before steering wheel or weights.

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:00 pm

Brakes would be nice. Looks good. Why did you stop patching after 17 patches. Never know the next one may have worked. Grump

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:41 pm

grumpy wrote:Brakes would be nice. Looks good. Why did you stop patching after 17 patches. Never know the next one may have worked. Grump

I stopped at one, the other 16 were already there. Saved the tube though, might get energetic and see if 18 is the magic number.

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:29 pm

BRAKES !!!! Then you will just want to be stoppin all the time, get a drink of water,eat a sandwich,go to bathroom. I like the way you work it now start work and let it stop for you when you RUN IT OUTA GAS

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:48 pm

I love to hear stories like this. I too recently inherited my grandpa's H. My dad and uncle gave it to me. My grandpa bought it brand new in Danville, IN (close to me) and I also have the statement from the bank where he financed the new H, cultivators and plow for 2,200.00. It took him only a year to pay off. It runs great and plan to restore probably beginning next fall.

Congrats again!

Re: Grandpa's "H" comes home

Sat Jan 29, 2011 6:46 pm

Rabbit Holler Flash wrote:............ and let it stop for you when you RUN IT OUTA GAS

I think I heard somewhere a Farmall "H" will run on two cycle mix from your chainsaw should you find yourself forgetting to check the gas and run the tractor empty.